The present invention relates to a fixing device and a holder for mounting or securely fixing a fuel conveying piping member or other piping member, for example, in a frame of a motor vehicle or in other panel, specifically to a fixing device for mounting or securely fixing the piping member in and through a pair of panels spaced apart from one another, and a holder adaptable for the fixing device.
Since the past, a fixing device as shown in FIGS. 18 (A), (B) and (C) has been adapted to mount or securely fix a fuel conveying piping member or other piping member to a panel, for example, of a motor vehicle.
In FIG. 18, reference numeral 200 indicates a grommet which is an elastic body formed from elastic material such as rubber and constructs independently a fixing device. The grommet 200 is formed with a through-hole 204 in a center portion thereof for passing a piping member 202 such as a hose therethrough, and an annular groove 206 in and along an outer peripheral portion.
In the fixing device (structure) shown in FIG. 18, the piping member 202 is inserted in and through the through-hole 204 in the center portion of the grommet 200, and the annular groove 206 in the outer peripheral portion thereof is fitted elastically to or on a circumferential edge portion of a mounting hole 210 of a panel 208. Thereby the piping member 202 is fitted and mounted or fixed in and through the panel 208 by means of the grommet 200.
However, in the grommet 200 shown in FIG. 18 (A), an operator has to mount the grommet 200 in the mounting hole 210 of the panel 208 by fitting the outer peripheral portion of the grommet 200 to the mounting hole 210 while forcibly causing an elastic deformation thereof. This bothers the operator and requires a lot of time.
On the other hand, the Patent Document No. 1 below discloses a fixing device or structure for securely fixing a piping member in a panel as shown in FIG. 19.
The fixing structure as shown in FIG. 19 is adapted for connecting a plurality of piping members 202A of metal pipes simultaneously to mating piping members 202B which consist mainly of flexible hoses 202B-1. Reference numeral 211 indicates a grommet that holds the plurality of the piping members 202A through the through-holes 204.
In this fixing device, the piping members 202A are inserted in and held through the plurality of the through-holes 204 of the grommet 211. The grommet 211, while holding the piping members 202A therethrough as above, is elastically fitted in and securely fixed in a mounting hole 210 of the panel 208.
Then, a clamp member 214 is disposed on an opposite side (back side or rear surface side) of the panel 208. The clamp member 214 is formed with a plurality of positioning holes 212 therein, and uprising columns 216 thereon. The leading end portions of the piping members 202A are fitted in the plurality of the positioning holes 212 so as to be positioned in side by side relation to one another by means of the clamp member 214, and at the same time, the uprising columns 216 of the clamp member 214 abut the rear surface of the panel 208 to prevent the piping member 202A from coming off.
The mating piping members 202B to which the piping members 202A are connected have flexible hoses 202B-1 and joint tubes 202B-2 which are attached to the end portions of the flexible hoses 202B-1. These joint tubes 202B-2 are held by a holder or end member 220.
The end member 220 and the clamp member 214 are formed with internally threaded bores 222, 224, respectively. And, the end member 220 and the clamp member 214 are fastened to one another by screwing a threaded screw member 226 in the internally threaded bores 222, 224.
The piping members 202A, which extend or run through the mounting holes 210 of the panel 208 downwardly (in Fig.), are inserted also downwardly (in Fig.) in the joint tubes 202B-2 that are held by the end member 220, and thereby the plurality of the piping members 202A and the plurality of the piping members 202B are connected to one another via these joint tubes 202B-2.
However, in the fixing device shown in FIG. 19, an operator also has to mount or securely fix the piping members 202A in the panel 208 by forcibly fitting the grommet 211 in the mounting hole 210 of the panel 208 while causing an elastic deformation of the grommet 211. This also entails a problem that the operator is bothered and spend a lot of time for mounting operation of the piping members.
On the other hand, the Patent Document No. 2 below discloses that a grommet is divided perpendicular to the axis into two part bodies. The two part bodies are mated perpendicular to the axis with one another and thereby piping members are held through a plurality of through-holes formed in the grommet.
By the way, in case where a piping member is arranged and securely fixed in a predetermined position, it is occasionally required to insert and mount or securely fix a piping member in mounting holes formed in a pair of panels that are spaced apart from one another, while being through the pair of panels, respectively.
However, the conventional fixing device or structures for piping member as stated above are both constructed only to mount or securely fix a piping member in a single panel. Therefore, there is a problem that these fixing devices are not useful when a piping member is mounted or securely fixed in and through a pair of panels spaced apart from one another, respectively.
That is, in the past, there is no disclosure of fixing device for mounting or securely fixing a piping member in and through a pair of panels spaced apart from one another, respectively. Therefore, it is required to newly develop a fixing device or structure for that application.
And, in case of such conventional fixing devices, it is difficult or troublesome to insert and mount or securely fix the piping member in and through a mounting hole of a panel which is located in an inaccessible location.                [Patent Document No. 1] JP, A, 2001-200976        [Patent Document No. 2] JP, U, 6-36931        
Under the circumstances described above, it is an object of the present invention, in one aspect, to provide a novel through-panel fixing device for piping member that allows a piping member to be easily mounted or fixed in and through a pair of panels spaced apart from one another, respectively, while being positioned.
And, it is an object of the present invention, in one aspect, to provide a novel holder which can be adapted in such fixing device and allows the piping member to be easily mounted or fixed in and through the mounting hole of a panel for example, that is located in an inaccessible location.